Organizing the Inside 365 Days
Empowering Christian Women To Get Organized and Discover God's Plan for Their LivesArchive for Calvary
Organizing the Inside – Day 357 Take Heart
“I have told you all this so that you may have peace in Me. Here on earth you will have many trials and sorrows. But take heart, because I have overcome the world.” John 16:33 (NLT)
Stand courageously for Christ. Jesus has defeated death, hell and the grave. Christ’s finished work at Calvary gives us the confidence to stand, and the assurance of knowing that we have eternal life. We’ve been redeemed from a life of hopeless destruction. He stands between now and eternity, bridging the gap of time. Having conquered death Jesus is the doorway to eternal life.
Access to a love beyond compare. It is not until we surrender to Christ completely that we can begin to comprehend (although only dimly) what is the height, depth and scope of His glorious love. Strengthen that which remains and set a standard of righteousness that is unwilling to compromise. Refuse to lower your standards to pursue worldly pleasures. And since we are His children, we are His heirs. In fact, together with Christ we are heirs of God’s glory. But if we are to share His glory, we must also share His suffering. Romans 8:17 (NLT) Jesus knew we would have conflict in this life, but the certainty and peace we have in the midst of confusion enables you and me to rise above our circumstances and live victoriously through Him.
Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works, and glorify your Father which is in heaven. Matthew 5:16 (KJV)
Organizing the Inside – Day 330 God’s Forgiveness Liberates
1Oh, what joy for those whose disobedience is forgiven, whose sin is put out of sight!
2Yes, what joy for those whose record the Lord has cleared of guilt, whose lives are lived in complete honesty!
Psalm 32:1, 2, 5 (NIV)
Is it possible to live a life free of guilt? While we all have made mistakes, considered and even carried out poor choices at one time or another; who can actually be found blameless?
You and I can because of Christ’s finished work at Calvary. Knowing God’s forgiveness and experiencing the cleansing power of His blood is not a license to sin. On the contrary, knowing God and His love for us in spite of our past mistakes and sins gives us liberty and allows us to serve Him freely.
5Finally, I confessed all my sins to you and stopped trying to hide my guilt. I said to myself, “I will confess my rebellion to the Lord.” And you forgave me! All my guilt is gone. Let us therefore celebrate the liberty which is ours through Jesus Christ and live a life of thanksgiving which honors and glorifies Him. And so, dear brothers and sisters, I plead with you to give your bodies to God because of all he has done for you. Let them be a living and holy sacrifice–the kind he will find acceptable. This is truly the way to worship him. Romans 12:1 (NLT)
Organizing the Inside – Day 137 Touching Lives
When was the last time you touched a life? I mean really affected someone else, I suspect you may never actually know, at least not for certain. There are however many things to consider when we think about what makes a person’s life highly effective.
Why is it that some people we meet impact our lives and others don’t leave much of an impression at all?
Does God really care about how effective we are as individual Christians? Does He care about how much fruit is in the basket? If so then how does one touch the hearts and lives of people they meet?
I’d like to explore with you a few things that the scriptures teach us about being effective.
Be authentic
You can’t be someone else; you can only be who you are. So if you have tried to be like someone or be someone else, then you aren’t being yourself, and since you can’t be them and you’re not being you, then who are you being? JUST BE YOU, it’s easier! Pay careful attention to your own work, for then you will get the satisfaction of a job well done, and you won’t need to compare yourself to anyone else. Galatians 6:4
Live life from the heart. People are drawn to others who genuinely care and inspire them. God increases our opportunity to minister and bless those around us when He knows the intent of our hearts is pure toward others.
Learn from your mistakes.
Learning from our mistakes is not easy. Hey admitting that you even made a mistake is even harder. But the freedom and friendship that flows from a heart that seeks forgiveness and reconciliation is far greater than the bondage that past mistakes seem to forge on ones liberties. Love prospers when a fault is forgiven, but dwelling on it separates close friends. Proverbs 17:9
Be willing to admit when you are wrong.
Seek forgiveness, which God gives freely; but receive it and move forward. The enemy would have you spend your time right there, dwelling on your mistakes. I received a phone call from a very dear friend recently who was struggling because she felt she’d disappointed God. Our conversation led me think, more and more about the power of the blood that flows from Calvary. The blood that Jesus shed for you and me, consist of a continuous flow. It’s not just good for a one time cleansing, (although one time is sufficient) but it cleanses you continuously. How awesome that an omnipotent God decided to fulfill His promise through the finished work at Calvary. We have no need for the blood of goats or the sacrifice of bulls. Jesus paid the price for our wrong doings, SIN… and He PAID IT IN FULL.
Be willing to accept the sacrifice Jesus made.
There are those times when you feel so unworthy, so undeserving but God had a “Master Plan.” He knew long before you even existed what He wanted and needed to do, to reconcile you to Himself. So through what Jesus did – we are fully cleansed, fully forgiven, fully redeemed and fully restored. Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins. Hebrews 9:14
So, I ask that same question once again.
What is it about some people we meet, who seem to profoundly impact our lives?
The answer is simple, a willingness to give.
Greater love has no one than this, that he lay down his life for his friends. John 15:13
I sincerely believe here is where we draw a distinction between one who definitely impacts the lives of those around them and those who, well…maybe not so much. The difference is the heart of the person. They give of themselves first to God and then to others. Jesus set the perfect example, His life affected more people than anyone in history. I don’t pretend to have some special gift to see the heart of any man, but the scriptures teach us truth. Those who are doing the will of the Father are impacting lives and bring forth fruit. What is God’s will? “A new command I give you: Love one another. As I have loved you, so you must love one another. John 13:34
A heart that flows with LOVE.
Those who are impacting lives are able to do so because they have a yielded heart of love. You’ll find they have a willingness to lay down their own desires, wants, and selfish ambitions and follow the will of God. Interestingly enough, those who are profoundly impacting lives have discovered the true secrets of happiness (which isn’t a secret at all, because it’s for all and available to all). They have found that being in the will of God, and by laying down their lives, they then find it. It’s simple when you consider it; these people are impacting lives but, it’s really not them at all. The difference is the LOVE they allow to flow through them by living life from the heart.
How’s your living?
Has God’s kingdom been established in your heart? Are you living your life to fulfill God’s plan; or are you meandering through the wilderness looking for the next distraction? God has a plan for your life. If you want to start impacting more lives and making a positive difference to those around you, do everything you know to do to yield your entire heart to God. For God is love. And so we know and rely on the love God has for us. God is love. Whoever lives in love lives in God, and God in him. 1 John 4:16
What better way to impact lives?
The answer is near you. (also read Matthew 7:21)
Organizing the Inside 365 Days 